A hard landing to universal credit

The Department for Work and Pensions has been moving claimants of legacy benefits onto universal credit (UC) through a process called managed migration. 

Getting this process right and ensuring that low-income households safely migrate to UC is vital; by the time UC is fully rolled out half of all children in the UK will be living in a household claiming UC. In addition, some of the most vulnerable people in our communities rely on support from the social security system. For many it will be their only source of income. 

The current, and final, phase of managed migration is focused on moving claimants still in receipt of income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) only, and ESA and housing benefit in combination, to UC. Many of these claimants will have been receiving support from the social security system for long periods of time, so managing a safe transition is particularly important. The DWP is aiming to send 83,000 migration notices each month, so that the final migration notices are sent in September 2025, and to fully complete the move to UC and close legacy benefits by the end of March 2026.  

This briefing details how the current phase of managed migration is continuing to present significant difficulties for claimants, with the result that many lose out on income and face potential hardship. 

It sets out recommendations to improve the managed migration process, so that any risks to claimants are mitigated and the transition to UC is as smooth as possible for those affected.